Home Sweet Hive

by Mad Hatter


Crossing the Threshold

The power of Sky Sprinkle had exceeded my expectations. I erected a shield slightly behind the javelins as they tore through the wall. They left my field of vision as Nohbodi turned to me. "What are you doing?" I froze.

"William Tell, right? Think that's the name. Turn around to the other side, keep a hand on it." Nohbodi followed the order, looking at me.

"Don't worry, she knows what she's doing." he smiled.

"But how did you ascertain that she would not harm you?"

"Because if I was there for that, I could've done it earlier." She corrected herself immediately. "Not that I was going to. Celestia told me that Twilight was probably far more worried than she should be. No surprise. Twilight still can't handle some things that magic can't fix. Listen. Technically I am here to take him back, but with you two I was given weeks. It's faster and better for everyone if I just help you. I trust him to come back when everything's settled. Please get that shield out of the way, I don't know how much it'll slow down the javelins. They're working on mechanical force instead of magic right now, and we don't know how long until it starts to heal itself."

I reluctantly allowed the shielding to dissipate as she aimed an opposing semi-circle now that Nohbodi had changed positions. It likewise tore through, completing a preforation that began to give way under the leaning of body weight. Nohbodi forced the portion until he stood, arms and legs akimbo, holding open the way and quickly glancing left and right. "Whew. Good, it's not healing itself yet. Aranea, quick! Get in there and I'll follow you. Sky, you coming?"

"I can't. If the inside drains magic too, and I suspect it does, I'd be useless - Or worse, dead. I have more javelins on me." She produced another from a rapidly-emptying saddlebag, and thrust the assembled piece into the ground. "Mark the other side if you can if it closes. Keep down if we can't hear each other properly when you get back. Not many chances to get through, and I don't want to hurt you. Good luck, I'll be waiting here."

I shifted to my human avatar to fit between the legs effectively holding open the space and crawled through. Nohbodi followed me with alternating steps and arm movements. As we considered, with each limb removed from contact, the foliage grew back at an extremely rapid pace. He nearly leaped out of the space at the end, with sight of Sky Sprinkle ending mere seconds later. The collection of armaments glinted in the sun at a considerable distance, still in a circular formation from identical speed and power. We looked at the former hole in tandem. Nohbodi stepped up to it and held a hand to the space he affected on the other side. "Can you hear me Sky?"

Nothing. "I said, can you hear me!?" Silence reigned. We were unsure if Sky Sprinkle could not hear us, or if we were unable to perceive her, or a combination of the two. He looked at me as we semi-aimlessly journeyed towards the expanse.

"Too late to turn back now." I smiled at Nohbodi, attempting to employ his variety of humor. Though there was one technical difference between when he had used it and this recent application.

At this point, there truly was no going back.